Why did you choose The PSC?

I joined The PSC in November 2021 after a very enjoyable career working with large consultancies and the UK Government. When I decided to look for a new role in Summer 2021, I was looking for an organization which gave me the opportunity to solve important problems while at the same time giving me ownership of the same problem.

I spoke to and interviewed with several consulting firms who focused on the public sector, from extremely large professional service firms to the traditional American strategy houses. I left most of those conversation impressed by the capabilities of the firms but they didn't convince me that I would be able to apply my skills and experience to directly have an impact.

When I spoke to The PSC, they were a breath of fresh air. As an organisation they wanted to solve the most pressing problems, to use the skills and abilities of the consultants in the firm to do important work. So I decided to apply!

What was the recruitment process like?

The recruitment process at The PSC is impressive to say the least - I received an offer quickly following my last interview, and the whole process moved effectively and at pace. But getting an offer was not the most important part of the process for me, it was having the chance to check that the organisation was right for me.

I took my time with The PSC and I asked some very frank questions to the interviewers, who gave me honest responses. My biggest questions were around types of projects, firm strategy, and the ability to be entrepreneurial. The PSC responded by offering me the chance to develop my own ideas, take ownership and have high levels of autonomy.

What has life been like working at The PSC? 

My career has moved between government and consulting but always with a focus on public service. Stints in consulting made me a better civil servant and working in the public sector has made me a better consultant.

Since joining The PSC, I have not been disappointed. I have been working with a client to lead the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine for a population of 1.6m people. I have had the opportunity to solve problems on a macro level, such as how do we ensure those who are the most deprived can access the vaccine, to the very micro problem of coordinating with colleagues in the Police to protect school children from anti-vaccination activity. There has also been plenty of strategy writing, performance improvement and change management in between.

If I return to the Summer of 2021 and my original criteria for what I wanted from a job: the ‘opportunity to solve important problems’, I have in my short time at The PSC been directly involved in helping deliver over 700,000 vaccines, it does not get more important or more tangible than that.      

Author: Hassan Majeed